Finally tired of being trounced by its competitors in the on-board internet arena, United Airlines has outfitted its first international widebody plane with satellite-based Wi-Fi. The service should be rolled out to 300 additional aircrafts by the end of the year.

United's first foray into the new Wi-Fi capability is being granted to a trans-Atlantic and -Pacific Boeing 747, outfitted with Panasonic Avionics Corp.'s Ku-band satellite technology. Passengers can pick between two internet speeds: a standard speed at somewhere between $4 and $15 or an accelerated speed ranging between $6 and $20.